A Second Chance
by Thisidredpanda-kun
Summary: Three months have passed since the tragedy. With Hamlet's final request, Fortinbras has taken the position as king of Denmark and the kingdom seems to be at peace until Horatio, now the newly appointed advisor, hears that their former prince came back to them. Fearing that it may be a bad omen, Horatio has decided to speak to it. but something tells him that it was not as it seems.
1. the story

**Disclaimer** : I do not the character from Hamlet

It has been a little over 3 months since that tragic day. On that day, Horatio had informed the citizens of Denmark about the events leading up to the tragic death of their rulers. There were a variety of reactions from the audience, ranging from shock and anger to despair. The kingdom mourned deeply for the loss of young Hamlet, whom they had acknowledged to be their rightful ruler. Fortinbras, who was appointed the king of Denmark in honor of Hamlet's final request, has allowed many to take leave from work to mourn for their former prince. He even delayed his and his Queen's coronation for over two months so that the kingdom could settle their emotions and start anew.

As the kingdom slowly moved out of mourning and back to its normal state, it was decided that Denmark would be ruled separately from Norway's monarchy in recognition of the deceased prince's potential to be Denmark's ruler. Fortinbras' uncle was in better health and could now rule Norway in place of the new king of Denmark. Denmark has been able to maintain a better relationship with Norway since then. Horatio was appointed to be the king's advisor on Fortinbras' coronation, guiding him in hope that he would become a ruler that the people would love. Horatio has taught him about Danish culture, to which he had taken an interest in and quickly became accustomed to. He practiced the many customs of the Danes. However, he has stopped having late night drinking parties in the castle after Horatio mentioned what Hamlet had thought about it during one of their many conversations about the past.

Since Hamlet's death, Horatio had reflected on what he could have done to help with Hamlet's depression that eventually led to the chain of events leading to his final moment. This was one of the reasons why Horatio have referred to Hamlet without his title as he used to. He came to realise that the difference in social classes might have caused his friend to feel isolated. Hamlet once joked with Horatio that he wanted to change the name of servant with Horatio. Although he may have been joking about this, Horatio realised there was an underlying desire to be of the lower class where he is equal with everyone. He wanted to acknowledge Hamlet as his close friend, not just his superior. To Horatio, he was no longer Lord Hamlet but Hamlet, his dearest friend.

Despite the kingdom's new found peace, there seems to be some disturbance within. It was the night before the king formally announce to the kingdom that his Queen had conceived the kingdom's new heir. That night, Horatio was in the study, looking over the king's speech, when Bernardo and Marcellus burst into the room. They claimed to have seen Hamlet's ghost wandering around the castle, dressed in the same suit he had on that tragic day. It seemed to appear even during the day! They noticed that these daytime appearances were quite rare and were only in places where there were few occupants. However, they had decided to keep this a secret from the king, in fear that it would cause a riot if the word got out. They finally decided to confront Horatio on this matter after a month, believing it to be benign.

Horatio would not have believed this if it wasn't for his past experience with ghosts but this does raise some concerns. From his past experiences with Old Hamlet's ghost, he suspected that there must be some disturbance within the kingdom. However, strangely enough, a feeling of pleasantness that Horatio can't quite describe came over him. It was as though he was glad to see the prince once more. Horatio warned himself to be wary of these feelings as it could lead to a repeat in history. Keeping his emotions in check, he agreed to look for the ghost with the two officers the following night.

Hamlet sighed pleasantly at the sight of Fortinbras and his Queen from the doorway. The couple sat on a bed as Fortinbras put his hand on his Queen's shoulder as she gently caressed the unborn child. _I should've done that with Ophelia._ He thought longingly as he lightly closed the door to the room, cautious to not disturb the loving couple in the room. Hamlet leaned against the door that was left unguarded with the couple's request to be left alone, thinking of his own love interest. He still loved Ophelia and wished that he had treated her better during his time alive. Hamlet always regretted not being by her side during her worst days. Hamlet knew that he could never have apologized to her enough, for all he had taken from her. _But now's not the time to regret your actions, Hamlet._ The voice in his head scolded. _It's time to redeem for all you have done to this kingdom._ The voice reminded Hamlet of the day he had made his decision to stay on earth.

 _Flashback to a few days after his death_

Hamlet woke up in a dark place, lying on the ground helplessly. He found himself regretting all that he had done during his times alive that caused so much grief to others. He continued to lay on the floor, regrets flying through his head. Hamlet then felt something trickling down his cheek and realised that it was his own tears, weeping for all those that he had caused the death of.

Suddenly, a bright light lit beside where Hamlet laid on the ground, a light so bright it was blinding. As he adjusted his eyes to the bright light, it revealed a figure of an older man standing majestically in the light. When Hamlet realised who the man was, he quickly sat up and put his head down in respect. When the man noticed that Hamlet saw him, he spoke in a grave and bold voice. "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark," the voice boomed in now bright-lit place. "You have committed many heavy sins during your lifetime such as murder and treason." Hamlet looked down with a bitter smile, whispering softly, regret lacing the words, "I know…. I know.…"

The man spoke once more, with the same voice but this time with a bit of sympathy. "I have yet to pass judgement on your actions, would you like to decide your own punishment?" This caused Hamlet to look up in surprise. When he had confirmed that the voice was not lying, Hamlet looked back at the ground, a bitter smile made its way back on his face. "I believe I would deserve the worst punishments for the crimes that I have committed during my last moments."

The man looked thoughtful for a bit, nodding his head a few times before turning back to Hamlet. The man stared at him for a moment as if to confirm some truth. This caused Hamlet to look at him, confused. He became very puzzled when a pleased smile eventually showed itself on the man's face. A heartwarming chuckle was let out of the man's mouth. "Indeed, you are quite the interesting chap," The voice said with a kind smile. "Very well, I have thought of a good way for you redeem yourself." He then held his hand out to Hamlet, helping him up from the ground. The man then beckons for Hamlet to follow him towards what seems to be a door. The door opened as they neared it, revealing an empty room in Elsinore's castle.

As Hamlet slowly readjusted his eyes to the light in the room, he immediately realised that it was one of the many guestrooms in the castle with a large scarlet coloured bed and a night table beside the magnificent bed. Hamlet looked around the room with amazement until he saw the man at the window, frowning out at the sight below. Hamlet walked over to join the man by the window, curiously looking out to see what could have disturbed the man.

Immediately, Hamlet understood. He followed the man's gaze to a large crowd. The crowd gathered in front of a building with a similar structure to a church. Men were either shouting angrily or simply had their heads down solemnly in reflection. Women were weeping or talking silently to their children who were crying. Some of the other children were looking curiously around at the crowd, as if wondering what was wrong with everyone. The weather also seemed to be reflective of the crowd's mood, cloudy with a small drizzle of rain.

Hamlet was about to ask the man beside him what was wrong when Horatio and Fortinbras came out of building, announcing something. The windows were closed so Hamlet could not hear the announcement. However, he could guess. A final farewell speech to the dead. Hamlet wondered who they were mourning, knowing that there had been more than one death that day.

"They are mourning for you, Hamlet." The man answered. His sad gaze never once left the crowd below. Hamlet turned to the man in surprise before turning his attention back to the window, frowning down at the grief-stricken crowd. He wondered why people had liked him so much. After all, he was vengeful and selfish, led by his emotion, never thought about how the consequences of his actions affected others, and most of all, a coward. As Hamlet continued to gaze down at the grieving crowd, he did not notice that the man's eyes had wandered to him several times before following suit to the crowd below.

Fortinbras suddenly raised his deep and serious voice, "We will forever remember the most valiant Hamlet!" which made the crowd excited, cheering loudly, and chanting Hamlet's name. However, there seems to be some in the crowd who were displeased by Fortinbras' speech, yelling angrily and scowling. Suddenly, there was an eruption of fist fighting and angry yelling in the crowd. Hamlet shifted a little, ready to jump out the window to stop the chaotic scene below. However, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Hamlet turned to the man beside him who gave Hamlet an understanding look as he sadly shook his head.

"SILENCE!" boomed a voice. With the voice, the noise immediately died down, followed by loud murmurs. Hamlet followed the voice to the top of the stairs and saw the familiar face of Horatio. Hamlet was not only shocked by Horatio's raised voice but amazed by his ability to keep peace. The crowd's loud murmurs soon quieted down as Horatio spoke. Although Hamlet could not hear his friend's words, he knew that Horatio was using his reasoning to bring the crowd back to the situation at hand. Hamlet had always been proud to have Horatio beside him as his friend and ally. He had hoped that his friend has been well after his death. But seeing Horatio's worn-out and slim figure, Hamlet doubted this has been the case for his grieving friend.

When Hamlet snapped out of his deep thoughts, he realised that many of the crowd had already entered the building, leaving few more to walk in. Hamlet looked around for Horatio. His friend was standing near the entrance of the building talking to Fortinbras and chuckling together every once and a while. When they noticed that the last visitor had entered the building, they walked into building together, closing the door behind them.

"What do you think, Hamlet?" the man asked, turning to Hamlet with a smile. Hamlet wore a serious frown which soon turned into surprise look as he turned towards the man. Surprise was soon replaced by a genuine smile as he looked down at the vacant space below. The space was now empty with everyone inside the building with the exception of a few guards placed by the doors. "I am glad to see Horatio and everyone else has been doing well." Hamlet said. "I wish I can see them smile once more and set things right," Hamlet looked down longingly. The smile fades, replaced by a sad expression which faded within in a millisecond as he laughed bitterly. "But it's too late…." Hamlet said, a bittersweet smile stayed on his face as he continued to stare out at the empty space below.

"But you could try once more," the man said suddenly, startling a dazed Hamlet beside him. Hamlet quickly processed the man's words and looked at him with surprise. "Really… I-I…could… stay with them…" Hamlet stuttered. "B-but that's impossible! I am now dead!" Hamlet looked at the man, as though he had heard something that was most absurd. His shocked reaction caused the man to chuckle beside him. "No, no, there is no need to be alive to do what I have to offer," said the man with a smile.

The man's smile soon faded, replaced by a serious frown. "Hamlet," the man started with a commanding voice. Taken aback by the man's change of tone, Hamlet quickly turned towards the man, with a serious expression on his face as he nodded for the man to continue. "With this option, you are to watch over the people in this Kingdom and warn them of any danger. Do you accept this offer?" Hamlet shifted nervously at the huge responsibility that was given to him. Seeing Hamlet's reaction, the seriousness soon left the man's face, replaced by a kind smile. "You may do as you wish to make them smile." Hamlet was so shocked, so happy when he heard the words. A teardrop rolled down his cheeks as he held out his hand and cheerfully said, "I accept!"

 _End of flashback_

Since that day, Hamlet watched over the royal family during the night and mingled with townsmen at the nearby town during the day, helping others. Because of the man's offer, Hamlet was given special conditions as a ghost. He was given supernatural abilities while having a physical body. This would mean that people could touch and see him as a normal person. However, with his body, he could go for many days and nights without food and rest and could control his invisibility. He was also given special abilities such as teleportation, mind-reading and ability to read others' emotions. With his teleportation powers, he could even teleport others along with him. With all these special conditions, he could be considered a superhuman. However, Hamlet had decided to live a modest life, taking his duty on earth seriously.

While helping the nearby town, people sometimes commented on the similarity between him and "Lord Hamlet". Hamlet was able to brush this off with comments such as "I get that a lot" or "Really?! ...Do I now?" He even had someone bow down to him on the streets. Fortunately, these were only occasional occurrences when he first started to help around town. Eventually, he managed to convince the townspeople that he was not "Lord Hamlet" and went by his given nickname, "Hammy". He enjoyed the freedom and kindness that the townspeople showed him.

Hamlet would sometimes appeared in the castle during the day where there were very few people, maximizing his invisibility. Hamlet decided to wander the castle more often in the night than day for several reasons. The first reason being that, Hamlet was aware that it is unnatural for a ghost to wander during the day since he knew that he was given exceptions. The second reason was to help the guards with night shifts. When he heard that Bernardo and Marcellus kept their position as officers, despite Fortinbras' promotion to imperial guards, Hamlet figured that he should help them with guard duty at night, knowing that he could do without rest. He also wanted to help guard the new occupant of the castle, knowing that there were more dangers lurking around at night than during the day.

Hamlet was glad that the kingdom was graced with such loyal and kind-hearted rulers. He knew that he would never be able to be such a great ruler as Fortinbras. Fortinbras has accomplished so much in Denmark during his first two months of rule. He had not dishonored the Danes even once. He had even gone as far as to ban those blasted late night drinking parties from the castle! The people in town only said good things about him. Fortinbras would sometimes pay the nearby towns regular visits, helping the people in need. He would at times pay for medical services for the poor and sickly. Hamlet knew that the kingdom was blessed with a ruler who cared deeply for its people. Hamlet had given his blessings to Fortinbras' and his Queen on the day of their coronation. Although they would never know of this, Hamlet was glad that Fortinbras had become the ruler instead of him.

Hamlet shook himself from his thoughts. _Now is the time to concentrate on the task at hand!_ He told himself. Hamlet decided to patrol the hallway leading to the King's chamber when he heard footsteps coming from the hallway. This made Hamlet more alert for intruders. Hamlet crept closer to the footsteps until he heard the footstep stop and heard the impatient whispers of familiar voices. _Oh… this is going to be fun…._ Hamlet thought, a mischievous smile tugging up on his expression.

Meanwhile, Horatio was heading towards the king's chamber with Bernardo and Marcellus. The group had just gone around the castle in search of their ghostly friend. According to the two officers, the ghost didn't always appear in one place as most spirits did. They decided to search around the castle so they would not risk disturbing the king. However, they had no choice but to head towards the King's chamber since they could not find their ghostly friend. The three friends walked silently down the corridor until they heard another sound. Very light footsteps. All three of them froze with fear, Bernardo and Marcellus taking cover behind Horatio.

"Say something to it, Horatio!" whispered Bernardo impatiently in Horatio's ear. "Yeah, speak to it, Horatio, you know Latin, don't you?!" Marcellus said, backing Bernardo up in Horatio's other ear. Horatio was now shivering with nervousness. This was not his first encounter with a ghost. But knowing Hamlet, he was either here to warn them of danger or he was a vengeful spirit. Although Horatio doubted that it would be the second option because he didn't think that Hamlet had hatred toward anyone with his worst enemy dead, either situations seemed very ill-will. Reaching his final decision, he decided to open his mouth to speak.

Seeing three of his long-time friends after watching them in silence for months made him glad to see them in person. But the way his friends reacted certainly tickled his mischievous spirits. He teleported himself behind the trio, hoping to scare them. He was about to take a step forward when he heard Horatio's voice shouting, "Come out to the opening, Lord Hamlet, speak to me of your troubles." His bold voice, which Hamlet noted to be clearly betraying his trembling figure, boomed loudly in the silent hallways. In fear of waking the King, he teleported the three of friends with him to another room in the castle.

When Horatio came back to consciousness, he realised he was in a room which contradicted his earlier memory of being in the hallway, looking for Hamlet. He immediately realised that it was probably Hamlet's doing and started shivering with fear. _Calm down, Horatio! Think rationally!_ He scolded himself. Obeying his thoughts, Horatio took a deep breath to calm himself down.

When Horatio finally calmed himself down, he assessed his current position. He was sitting on the floor, feet out, back against hard surface. He tried to move his wrists and ankles. _Good, I'm not tied up_. Next, he assessed his surroundings. The room he was in was fairly dark with only the moonlight shining from the window to guide his sight. He could make out a bed in front of him in the dark. _Some chamber room, I see_ … Horatio looked to his right to see Bernardo and Marcellus lying next to him in the same position, unconscious. Horatio looked to his left, to find Hamlet, staring wide-eyed at him. That was when he let out a surprise yelp and fainted.

Hamlet paced impatiently around the room, extremely worried about his unconscious friends who were placed against the wall. This was because not only were they unconscious after being teleported, they had been unconscious for almost half an hour. Normally, when Hamlet teleported a mortal being, they would not lose their consciousness. They would at most be unconscious for a few seconds or minutes. Well, Horatio has regained conscious when Hamlet had stepped out to patrol the castle once more but fainted again once he saw Hamlet, who happened to teleport beside his friend. It has been half an hour and there were still no signs that his friends were regaining consciousness. This made Hamlet extremely worried. Did he accidently harm them? Should he call for help?

That was when he noticed something stirring from the corner of his eye. He turned towards the movement, realising much to his relief that Horatio began to regain consciousness again. Hamlet was about to call out to him when he suddenly felt fear from his now conscious friend. Worried about his friend's mental state, Hamlet listened into his friend's thoughts, hoping to find a way to help his panicking friend.

However, when Hamlet heard _Calm down, Horatio! Think rationally! ,_ he laughed internally at the way his friend had calmed himself down. Hamlet had always known his friend to be a rational thinker but he didn't expect him to tell himself to think rationally. With this, Hamlet decided to listen in and follow his thought process, in hopes of finding a way to surprise his friend. When Horatio scanned the area around him, he made sure to hide in the darkest corner of the room, ensuring that he did not move from his hiding spot. When Horatio finished his assessment of his surroundings, deducing that it was a chamber room, Hamlet realised that he had moved on to thinking what was beside him. That was when he saw the perfect opportunity to surprise him.

After Hamlet finished laughing and Horatio's angry huffs have stopped, Hamlet began explaining his situation to Horatio. Bernardo and Marcellus began to stir beside Horatio as Hamlet finished his explanation, relieving the ghost from his earlier fears. Marcellus, being the first to wake, rubbed his eyes from sleep and asked, "What happened?", while Bernardo blinked sleep from his eyes. As Hamlet opened his mouth to explain their situation, it seemed like their situations had hit them square on their heads. When they saw Hamlet, both of them appeared to be having a minor panic attack. "For heaven sake's, calm down, the both of you!" Horatio yelled, causing the two to snap out of their panicking state, frozen on the spot. "I'll explain to you our situation…" Hamlet was so glad that Horatio was able to handle the two of them because, by faith, he could not!

After a long explanation, the four friends decided to catch up on events of their new found life. Hamlet was glad that all his friends were doing very well. He realised that even after his death, his friends hadn't change much and had missed him greatly. Bernardo and Marcellus were still their loyal and chattering selves. When Hamlet voiced his concern for why the two refused their promotion to be imperial guards, Bernardo and Marcellus had said that they were quite content with their job as officers. They believed that being imperial guards would be too big of a role for them to play since it required huge responsibilities. Hamlet was happy that his friends were as thoughtful as they had always been but could not help but feel that they were being too humble about their abilities. Horatio had recently taken a position as Fortinbras' advisor, which Hamlet congratulated him for. But being a studious scholar, he has been hiding in the study most of the time, so much that Hamlet jokingly declared it his friend's new room.

Since Bernardo and Marcellus still had guard duty, they escorted Hamlet and Horatio back to the study to finish their conversation, leaving Hamlet alone with Horatio to catch up with each other. Horatio started off by talking about the new books that had been published that he read and liked while Hamlet shared some of his adventures in the nearby town. When the topic of troubles they had as of late, Hamlet realised how much Horatio cared about his country since his friend would more often ramble about the country's troubles rather than his own personal ones. Horatio may have claimed that it was due to his responsibility as the king's advisor but Hamlet knew that it was the reason Horatio took up the position. After all, they had been friends since they both started university.

Their conversations eventually led to their current topic about the recently discovered foreign lands of the East. "I heard something very intriguing about these east foreigners," Horatio told Hamlet, who was sitting in front him in the chair, clearly interested in Horatio. "They don't believe in our Father, God." Hamlet's eyes widen in surprise. It seemed absurd not believe to in the all-powerful creator of the universe. This, nevertheless, fascinated him as he signaled for Horatio to continue with a few quick nods of his head. Horatio let out a small chucked before he continued, seeing Hamlet lit up like a curious child.

"I heard that they believe in a force called Karma that they believe to govern the universe. Karma seems to work similarly to the expression "you sow what you reap"," Horatio explained to his captivated audience sitting in front of him. "They believe every action you do, even the words you say will come back to you with equal forces." Horatio paused a bit for Hamlet to digest what he had explained. After all, it's very difficult concept to understand, especially for a faithful Christian such as Hamlet. Even he had found very hard to explain the concepts, being in the same position as his friend.

After a moment, Hamlet looked up from the ground he was staring at with a serious face, nodding for him to continue. Horatio frowned, looking at his folded hands on his lap, thinking of a way to explain a very difficult concept that even he could not completely comprehend himself. "It seems to me as though you carry…. these action and words…," he paused and his frown seemed to have become more intense. "…to a separate life, no, another life -" Horatio immediately cut himself off to look up at his friend who had stood up. His eyes met with surprise and shock.

Hamlet found himself standing up, jaw hung open in disbelief. _That's impossible… it can't be….!_ Hamlet thought, eyes widened in shock. He turned to Horatio as if to confirm some truth. However, his friend looked back at him confused. Hamlet opened his mouth to say something but closed it after realizing where his friend's faith laid. _But it is not a bad idea to explore this possibility a bit more._ He thought. A thoughtful smirk came onto Hamlet's face as he slowly sat back on his chair. "What do you think about the idea of having a second chance at life?" Hamlet asked, taping his finger on his cheeks thoughtfully. A playful smile tugged up on his face as he looked across to his friend.

There was a long silence between the two friends as Horatio thought over the question Hamlet had brought up. A frown showed upon his face as he concentrated. Hamlet waited in silence for his friend's answer. "Hm… this is an interesting question, indeed…" Horatio started thoughtfully, breaking the long silence that had formed between them. The frown on his face unraveled into a thoughtful smile. "I suppose that this would mean that one would get a second chance to solve their troubles."

Hamlet frowned deeply at his friend's simple answer. He suddenly felt anger and bitterness coursed through him as he stood up and shouted, "What if they won't get a chance to solve their troubles?! What are the chances that in the next life, you would have the same encounters and experiences as the first one? After all, life continues even after a person's death, constantly changing with the flow of time."

The frown soon dissolved into a bitter smile as he went through his life experiences, noting the many changes from the beginning to the end. As a child, he would never have known that he would come to love a person by the name of Ophelia while causing her to suffer until her final moment. He would not have known that his father would be replaced by his traitorous uncle who he would eventually kill, along with so many others. Even Fortinbras had replaced him in the end. However, if he had never met Ophelia or had never been the king's son, then all his actions in life would not had happened in the first place. Hamlet could even imagine having a different lifestyle as a commoner after having to recently experience the lifestyle of a townsman.

Horatio looked thoughtful for moment before standing up to his friend with a kind smile on his face. He gently placed his hand on Hamlet's shoulder as he said, "What if the purpose of a second life is not to unravel old problems in the first one, but to start anew? Not to mend relationships but to make new ones?"

With this, Hamlet's eyes widened with surprise. Tears that had been threatening to come out began to stream down his face. He put his head down to hide his tears, despite knowing that he would be unsuccessful with breaking of dawn to his left. Horatio kept his position, smiling gently as his friend cried out all his sadness, hatred, and regrets he had in life.

Horatio's hands never left his friend's shoulder until his crying has been reduced to small sniffles. When he had calmed down, Hamlet turned towards the window next to him, staring out at the rising sun. Droplets of tears on his eyes were shining in the orange-red light. Despite this, there was resolve in Hamlet's eyes. Horatio trusted that his friend had come to some conclusion. The resolve in his eyes was proof enough for him _._ A smile made its way to Horatio's face as he decided to leave his friend in silence, slowly making his way toward the door. When he reached the door, Horatio turned to take a final look at his friend to see that he has already disappeared. _Farewell, Hamlet. I have been proud to have been able to call you my friend..._ With this, Horatio smiled a little before lightly closing the door behind him.

The scarlet sky continued to get brighter, slowly turning a little blue with each passing moment. Horatio walked down the sunlit hall in silence until the scrambling of shoes was heard, hurrying towards the king's chamber. He stopped by an open window, listening to the bird's songs that filled the silent dawn air. A smile graced Horatio's face as he heard the muffled shouting, the Queen's painful cries, and finally, the cry of a new born baby filled the silent hallway, announcing the birth of the kingdom's new heir.It has been a little over 3 months since that tragic day. On that day, Horatio had informed the citizens of Denmark about the events leading up to the tragic death of their rulers. There were a variety of reactions from the audience, ranging from shock and anger to despair. The kingdom mourned deeply for the loss of young Hamlet, whom they had acknowledged to be their rightful ruler. Fortinbras, who was appointed the king of Denmark in honor of Hamlet's final request, has allowed many to take leave from work to mourn for their former prince. He even delayed his and his Queen's coronation for over two months so that the kingdom could settle their emotions and start anew.

As the kingdom slowly moved out of mourning and back to its normal state, it was decided that Denmark would be ruled separately from Norway's monarchy in recognition of the deceased prince's potential to be Denmark's ruler. Fortinbras' uncle was in better health and could now rule Norway in place of the new king of Denmark. Denmark has been able to maintain a better relationship with Norway since then. Horatio was appointed to be the king's advisor on Fortinbras' coronation, guiding him in hope that he would become a ruler that the people would love. Horatio has taught him about Danish culture, to which he had taken an interest in and quickly became accustomed to. He practiced the many customs of the Danes. However, he has stopped having late night drinking parties in the castle after Horatio mentioned what Hamlet had thought about it during one of their many conversations about the past.

Since Hamlet's death, Horatio had reflected on what he could have done to help with Hamlet's depression that eventually led to the chain of events leading to his final moment. This was one of the reasons why Horatio have referred to Hamlet without his title as he used to. He came to realise that the difference in social classes might have caused his friend to feel isolated. Hamlet once joked with Horatio that he wanted to change the name of servant with Horatio. Although he may have been joking about this, Horatio realised there was an underlying desire to be of the lower class where he is equal with everyone. He wanted to acknowledge Hamlet as his close friend, not just his superior. To Horatio, he was no longer Lord Hamlet but Hamlet, his dearest friend.

Despite the kingdom's new found peace, there seems to be some disturbance within. It was the night before the king formally announce to the kingdom that his Queen had conceived the kingdom's new heir. That night, Horatio was in the study, looking over the king's speech, when Bernardo and Marcellus burst into the room. They claimed to have seen Hamlet's ghost wandering around the castle, dressed in the same suit he had on that tragic day. It seemed to appear even during the day! They noticed that these daytime appearances were quite rare and were only in places where there were few occupants. However, they had decided to keep this a secret from the king, in fear that it would cause a riot if the word got out. They finally decided to confront Horatio on this matter after a month, believing it to be benign.

Horatio would not have believed this if it wasn't for his past experience with ghosts but this does raise some concerns. From his past experiences with Old Hamlet's ghost, he suspected that there must be some disturbance within the kingdom. However, strangely enough, a feeling of pleasantness that Horatio can't quite describe came over him. It was as though he was glad to see the prince once more. Horatio warned himself to be wary of these feelings as it could lead to a repeat in history. Keeping his emotions in check, he agreed to look for the ghost with the two officers the following night.

Hamlet sighed pleasantly at the sight of Fortinbras and his Queen from the doorway. The couple sat on a bed as Fortinbras put his hand on his Queen's shoulder as she gently caressed the unborn child. _I should've done that with Ophelia._ He thought longingly as he lightly closed the door to the room, cautious to not disturb the loving couple in the room. Hamlet leaned against the door that was left unguarded with the couple's request to be left alone, thinking of his own love interest. He still loved Ophelia and wished that he had treated her better during his time alive. Hamlet always regretted not being by her side during her worst days. Hamlet knew that he could never have apologized to her enough, for all he had taken from her. _But now's not the time to regret your actions, Hamlet._ The voice in his head scolded. _It's time to redeem for all you have done to this kingdom._ The voice reminded Hamlet of the day he had made his decision to stay on earth.

 _Flashback to a few days after his death_

Hamlet woke up in a dark place, lying on the ground helplessly. He found himself regretting all that he had done during his times alive that caused so much grief to others. He continued to lay on the floor, regrets flying through his head. Hamlet then felt something trickling down his cheek and realised that it was his own tears, weeping for all those that he had caused the death of.

Suddenly, a bright light lit beside where Hamlet laid on the ground, a light so bright it was blinding. As he adjusted his eyes to the bright light, it revealed a figure of an older man standing majestically in the light. When Hamlet realised who the man was, he quickly sat up and put his head down in respect. When the man noticed that Hamlet saw him, he spoke in a grave and bold voice. "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark," the voice boomed in now bright-lit place. "You have committed many heavy sins during your lifetime such as murder and treason." Hamlet looked down with a bitter smile, whispering softly, regret lacing the words, "I know…. I know.…"

The man spoke once more, with the same voice but this time with a bit of sympathy. "I have yet to pass judgement on your actions, would you like to decide your own punishment?" This caused Hamlet to look up in surprise. When he had confirmed that the voice was not lying, Hamlet looked back at the ground, a bitter smile made its way back on his face. "I believe I would deserve the worst punishments for the crimes that I have committed during my last moments."

The man looked thoughtful for a bit, nodding his head a few times before turning back to Hamlet. The man stared at him for a moment as if to confirm some truth. This caused Hamlet to look at him, confused. He became very puzzled when a pleased smile eventually showed itself on the man's face. A heartwarming chuckle was let out of the man's mouth. "Indeed, you are quite the interesting chap," The voice said with a kind smile. "Very well, I have thought of a good way for you redeem yourself." He then held his hand out to Hamlet, helping him up from the ground. The man then beckons for Hamlet to follow him towards what seems to be a door. The door opened as they neared it, revealing an empty room in Elsinore's castle.

As Hamlet slowly readjusted his eyes to the light in the room, he immediately realised that it was one of the many guestrooms in the castle with a large scarlet coloured bed and a night table beside the magnificent bed. Hamlet looked around the room with amazement until he saw the man at the window, frowning out at the sight below. Hamlet walked over to join the man by the window, curiously looking out to see what could have disturbed the man.

Immediately, Hamlet understood. He followed the man's gaze to a large crowd. The crowd gathered in front of a building with a similar structure to a church. Men were either shouting angrily or simply had their heads down solemnly in reflection. Women were weeping or talking silently to their children who were crying. Some of the other children were looking curiously around at the crowd, as if wondering what was wrong with everyone. The weather also seemed to be reflective of the crowd's mood, cloudy with a small drizzle of rain.

Hamlet was about to ask the man beside him what was wrong when Horatio and Fortinbras came out of building, announcing something. The windows were closed so Hamlet could not hear the announcement. However, he could guess. A final farewell speech to the dead. Hamlet wondered who they were mourning, knowing that there had been more than one death that day.

"They are mourning for you, Hamlet." The man answered. His sad gaze never once left the crowd below. Hamlet turned to the man in surprise before turning his attention back to the window, frowning down at the grief-stricken crowd. He wondered why people had liked him so much. After all, he was vengeful and selfish, led by his emotion, never thought about how the consequences of his actions affected others, and most of all, a coward. As Hamlet continued to gaze down at the grieving crowd, he did not notice that the man's eyes had wandered to him several times before following suit to the crowd below.

Fortinbras suddenly raised his deep and serious voice, "We will forever remember the most valiant Hamlet!" which made the crowd excited, cheering loudly, and chanting Hamlet's name. However, there seems to be some in the crowd who were displeased by Fortinbras' speech, yelling angrily and scowling. Suddenly, there was an eruption of fist fighting and angry yelling in the crowd. Hamlet shifted a little, ready to jump out the window to stop the chaotic scene below. However, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Hamlet turned to the man beside him who gave Hamlet an understanding look as he sadly shook his head.

"SILENCE!" boomed a voice. With the voice, the noise immediately died down, followed by loud murmurs. Hamlet followed the voice to the top of the stairs and saw the familiar face of Horatio. Hamlet was not only shocked by Horatio's raised voice but amazed by his ability to keep peace. The crowd's loud murmurs soon quieted down as Horatio spoke. Although Hamlet could not hear his friend's words, he knew that Horatio was using his reasoning to bring the crowd back to the situation at hand. Hamlet had always been proud to have Horatio beside him as his friend and ally. He had hoped that his friend has been well after his death. But seeing Horatio's worn-out and slim figure, Hamlet doubted this has been the case for his grieving friend.

When Hamlet snapped out of his deep thoughts, he realised that many of the crowd had already entered the building, leaving few more to walk in. Hamlet looked around for Horatio. His friend was standing near the entrance of the building talking to Fortinbras and chuckling together every once and a while. When they noticed that the last visitor had entered the building, they walked into building together, closing the door behind them.

"What do you think, Hamlet?" the man asked, turning to Hamlet with a smile. Hamlet wore a serious frown which soon turned into surprise look as he turned towards the man. Surprise was soon replaced by a genuine smile as he looked down at the vacant space below. The space was now empty with everyone inside the building with the exception of a few guards placed by the doors. "I am glad to see Horatio and everyone else has been doing well." Hamlet said. "I wish I can see them smile once more and set things right," Hamlet looked down longingly. The smile fades, replaced by a sad expression which faded within in a millisecond as he laughed bitterly. "But it's too late…." Hamlet said, a bittersweet smile stayed on his face as he continued to stare out at the empty space below.

"But you could try once more," the man said suddenly, startling a dazed Hamlet beside him. Hamlet quickly processed the man's words and looked at him with surprise. "Really… I-I…could… stay with them…" Hamlet stuttered. "B-but that's impossible! I am now dead!" Hamlet looked at the man, as though he had heard something that was most absurd. His shocked reaction caused the man to chuckle beside him. "No, no, there is no need to be alive to do what I have to offer," said the man with a smile.

The man's smile soon faded, replaced by a serious frown. "Hamlet," the man started with a commanding voice. Taken aback by the man's change of tone, Hamlet quickly turned towards the man, with a serious expression on his face as he nodded for the man to continue. "With this option, you are to watch over the people in this Kingdom and warn them of any danger. Do you accept this offer?" Hamlet shifted nervously at the huge responsibility that was given to him. Seeing Hamlet's reaction, the seriousness soon left the man's face, replaced by a kind smile. "You may do as you wish to make them smile." Hamlet was so shocked, so happy when he heard the words. A teardrop rolled down his cheeks as he held out his hand and cheerfully said, "I accept!"

 _End of flashback_

Since that day, Hamlet watched over the royal family during the night and mingled with townsmen at the nearby town during the day, helping others. Because of the man's offer, Hamlet was given special conditions as a ghost. He was given supernatural abilities while having a physical body. This would mean that people could touch and see him as a normal person. However, with his body, he could go for many days and nights without food and rest and could control his invisibility. He was also given special abilities such as teleportation, mind-reading and ability to read others' emotions. With his teleportation powers, he could even teleport others along with him. With all these special conditions, he could be considered a superhuman. However, Hamlet had decided to live a modest life, taking his duty on earth seriously.

While helping the nearby town, people sometimes commented on the similarity between him and "Lord Hamlet". Hamlet was able to brush this off with comments such as "I get that a lot" or "Really?! ...Do I now?" He even had someone bow down to him on the streets. Fortunately, these were only occasional occurrences when he first started to help around town. Eventually, he managed to convince the townspeople that he was not "Lord Hamlet" and went by his given nickname, "Hammy". He enjoyed the freedom and kindness that the townspeople showed him.

Hamlet would sometimes appeared in the castle during the day where there were very few people, maximizing his invisibility. Hamlet decided to wander the castle more often in the night than day for several reasons. The first reason being that, Hamlet was aware that it is unnatural for a ghost to wander during the day since he knew that he was given exceptions. The second reason was to help the guards with night shifts. When he heard that Bernardo and Marcellus kept their position as officers, despite Fortinbras' promotion to imperial guards, Hamlet figured that he should help them with guard duty at night, knowing that he could do without rest. He also wanted to help guard the new occupant of the castle, knowing that there were more dangers lurking around at night than during the day.

Hamlet was glad that the kingdom was graced with such loyal and kind-hearted rulers. He knew that he would never be able to be such a great ruler as Fortinbras. Fortinbras has accomplished so much in Denmark during his first two months of rule. He had not dishonored the Danes even once. He had even gone as far as to ban those blasted late night drinking parties from the castle! The people in town only said good things about him. Fortinbras would sometimes pay the nearby towns regular visits, helping the people in need. He would at times pay for medical services for the poor and sickly. Hamlet knew that the kingdom was blessed with a ruler who cared deeply for its people. Hamlet had given his blessings to Fortinbras' and his Queen on the day of their coronation. Although they would never know of this, Hamlet was glad that Fortinbras had become the ruler instead of him.

Hamlet shook himself from his thoughts. _Now is the time to concentrate on the task at hand!_ He told himself. Hamlet decided to patrol the hallway leading to the King's chamber when he heard footsteps coming from the hallway. This made Hamlet more alert for intruders. Hamlet crept closer to the footsteps until he heard the footstep stop and heard the impatient whispers of familiar voices. _Oh… this is going to be fun…._ Hamlet thought, a mischievous smile tugging up on his expression.

Meanwhile, Horatio was heading towards the king's chamber with Bernardo and Marcellus. The group had just gone around the castle in search of their ghostly friend. According to the two officers, the ghost didn't always appear in one place as most spirits did. They decided to search around the castle so they would not risk disturbing the king. However, they had no choice but to head towards the King's chamber since they could not find their ghostly friend. The three friends walked silently down the corridor until they heard another sound. Very light footsteps. All three of them froze with fear, Bernardo and Marcellus taking cover behind Horatio.

"Say something to it, Horatio!" whispered Bernardo impatiently in Horatio's ear. "Yeah, speak to it, Horatio, you know Latin, don't you?!" Marcellus said, backing Bernardo up in Horatio's other ear. Horatio was now shivering with nervousness. This was not his first encounter with a ghost. But knowing Hamlet, he was either here to warn them of danger or he was a vengeful spirit. Although Horatio doubted that it would be the second option because he didn't think that Hamlet had hatred toward anyone with his worst enemy dead, either situations seemed very ill-will. Reaching his final decision, he decided to open his mouth to speak.

Seeing three of his long-time friends after watching them in silence for months made him glad to see them in person. But the way his friends reacted certainly tickled his mischievous spirits. He teleported himself behind the trio, hoping to scare them. He was about to take a step forward when he heard Horatio's voice shouting, "Come out to the opening, Lord Hamlet, speak to me of your troubles." His bold voice, which Hamlet noted to be clearly betraying his trembling figure, boomed loudly in the silent hallways. In fear of waking the King, he teleported the three of friends with him to another room in the castle.

When Horatio came back to consciousness, he realised he was in a room which contradicted his earlier memory of being in the hallway, looking for Hamlet. He immediately realised that it was probably Hamlet's doing and started shivering with fear. _Calm down, Horatio! Think rationally!_ He scolded himself. Obeying his thoughts, Horatio took a deep breath to calm himself down.

When Horatio finally calmed himself down, he assessed his current position. He was sitting on the floor, feet out, back against hard surface. He tried to move his wrists and ankles. _Good, I'm not tied up_. Next, he assessed his surroundings. The room he was in was fairly dark with only the moonlight shining from the window to guide his sight. He could make out a bed in front of him in the dark. _Some chamber room, I see_ … Horatio looked to his right to see Bernardo and Marcellus lying next to him in the same position, unconscious. Horatio looked to his left, to find Hamlet, staring wide-eyed at him. That was when he let out a surprise yelp and fainted.

Hamlet paced impatiently around the room, extremely worried about his unconscious friends who were placed against the wall. This was because not only were they unconscious after being teleported, they had been unconscious for almost half an hour. Normally, when Hamlet teleported a mortal being, they would not lose their consciousness. They would at most be unconscious for a few seconds or minutes. Well, Horatio has regained conscious when Hamlet had stepped out to patrol the castle once more but fainted again once he saw Hamlet, who happened to teleport beside his friend. It has been half an hour and there were still no signs that his friends were regaining consciousness. This made Hamlet extremely worried. Did he accidently harm them? Should he call for help?

That was when he noticed something stirring from the corner of his eye. He turned towards the movement, realising much to his relief that Horatio began to regain consciousness again. Hamlet was about to call out to him when he suddenly felt fear from his now conscious friend. Worried about his friend's mental state, Hamlet listened into his friend's thoughts, hoping to find a way to help his panicking friend.

However, when Hamlet heard _Calm down, Horatio! Think rationally! ,_ he laughed internally at the way his friend had calmed himself down. Hamlet had always known his friend to be a rational thinker but he didn't expect him to tell himself to think rationally. With this, Hamlet decided to listen in and follow his thought process, in hopes of finding a way to surprise his friend. When Horatio scanned the area around him, he made sure to hide in the darkest corner of the room, ensuring that he did not move from his hiding spot. When Horatio finished his assessment of his surroundings, deducing that it was a chamber room, Hamlet realised that he had moved on to thinking what was beside him. That was when he saw the perfect opportunity to surprise him.

After Hamlet finished laughing and Horatio's angry huffs have stopped, Hamlet began explaining his situation to Horatio. Bernardo and Marcellus began to stir beside Horatio as Hamlet finished his explanation, relieving the ghost from his earlier fears. Marcellus, being the first to wake, rubbed his eyes from sleep and asked, "What happened?", while Bernardo blinked sleep from his eyes. As Hamlet opened his mouth to explain their situation, it seemed like their situations had hit them square on their heads. When they saw Hamlet, both of them appeared to be having a minor panic attack. "For heaven sake's, calm down, the both of you!" Horatio yelled, causing the two to snap out of their panicking state, frozen on the spot. "I'll explain to you our situation…" Hamlet was so glad that Horatio was able to handle the two of them because, by faith, he could not!

After a long explanation, the four friends decided to catch up on events of their new found life. Hamlet was glad that all his friends were doing very well. He realised that even after his death, his friends hadn't change much and had missed him greatly. Bernardo and Marcellus were still their loyal and chattering selves. When Hamlet voiced his concern for why the two refused their promotion to be imperial guards, Bernardo and Marcellus had said that they were quite content with their job as officers. They believed that being imperial guards would be too big of a role for them to play since it required huge responsibilities. Hamlet was happy that his friends were as thoughtful as they had always been but could not help but feel that they were being too humble about their abilities. Horatio had recently taken a position as Fortinbras' advisor, which Hamlet congratulated him for. But being a studious scholar, he has been hiding in the study most of the time, so much that Hamlet jokingly declared it his friend's new room.

Since Bernardo and Marcellus still had guard duty, they escorted Hamlet and Horatio back to the study to finish their conversation, leaving Hamlet alone with Horatio to catch up with each other. Horatio started off by talking about the new books that had been published that he read and liked while Hamlet shared some of his adventures in the nearby town. When the topic of troubles they had as of late, Hamlet realised how much Horatio cared about his country since his friend would more often ramble about the country's troubles rather than his own personal ones. Horatio may have claimed that it was due to his responsibility as the king's advisor but Hamlet knew that it was the reason Horatio took up the position. After all, they had been friends since they both started university.

Their conversations eventually led to their current topic about the recently discovered foreign lands of the East. "I heard something very intriguing about these east foreigners," Horatio told Hamlet, who was sitting in front him in the chair, clearly interested in Horatio. "They don't believe in our Father, God." Hamlet's eyes widen in surprise. It seemed absurd not believe to in the all-powerful creator of the universe. This, nevertheless, fascinated him as he signaled for Horatio to continue with a few quick nods of his head. Horatio let out a small chucked before he continued, seeing Hamlet lit up like a curious child.

"I heard that they believe in a force called Karma that they believe to govern the universe. Karma seems to work similarly to the expression "you sow what you reap"," Horatio explained to his captivated audience sitting in front of him. "They believe every action you do, even the words you say will come back to you with equal forces." Horatio paused a bit for Hamlet to digest what he had explained. After all, it's very difficult concept to understand, especially for a faithful Christian such as Hamlet. Even he had found very hard to explain the concepts, being in the same position as his friend.

After a moment, Hamlet looked up from the ground he was staring at with a serious face, nodding for him to continue. Horatio frowned, looking at his folded hands on his lap, thinking of a way to explain a very difficult concept that even he could not completely comprehend himself. "It seems to me as though you carry…. these action and words…," he paused and his frown seemed to have become more intense. "…to a separate life, no, another life -" Horatio immediately cut himself off to look up at his friend who had stood up. His eyes met with surprise and shock.

Hamlet found himself standing up, jaw hung open in disbelief. _That's impossible… it can't be….!_ Hamlet thought, eyes widened in shock. He turned to Horatio as if to confirm some truth. However, his friend looked back at him confused. Hamlet opened his mouth to say something but closed it after realizing where his friend's faith laid. _But it is not a bad idea to explore this possibility a bit more._ He thought. A thoughtful smirk came onto Hamlet's face as he slowly sat back on his chair. "What do you think about the idea of having a second chance at life?" Hamlet asked, taping his finger on his cheeks thoughtfully. A playful smile tugged up on his face as he looked across to his friend.

There was a long silence between the two friends as Horatio thought over the question Hamlet had brought up. A frown showed upon his face as he concentrated. Hamlet waited in silence for his friend's answer. "Hm… this is an interesting question, indeed…" Horatio started thoughtfully, breaking the long silence that had formed between them. The frown on his face unraveled into a thoughtful smile. "I suppose that this would mean that one would get a second chance to solve their troubles."

Hamlet frowned deeply at his friend's simple answer. He suddenly felt anger and bitterness coursed through him as he stood up and shouted, "What if they won't get a chance to solve their troubles?! What are the chances that in the next life, you would have the same encounters and experiences as the first one? After all, life continues even after a person's death, constantly changing with the flow of time."

The frown soon dissolved into a bitter smile as he went through his life experiences, noting the many changes from the beginning to the end. As a child, he would never have known that he would come to love a person by the name of Ophelia while causing her to suffer until her final moment. He would not have known that his father would be replaced by his traitorous uncle who he would eventually kill, along with so many others. Even Fortinbras had replaced him in the end. However, if he had never met Ophelia or had never been the king's son, then all his actions in life would not had happened in the first place. Hamlet could even imagine having a different lifestyle as a commoner after having to recently experience the lifestyle of a townsman.

Horatio looked thoughtful for moment before standing up to his friend with a kind smile on his face. He gently placed his hand on Hamlet's shoulder as he said, "What if the purpose of a second life is not to unravel old problems in the first one, but to start anew? Not to mend relationships but to make new ones?"

With this, Hamlet's eyes widened with surprise. Tears that had been threatening to come out began to stream down his face. He put his head down to hide his tears, despite knowing that he would be unsuccessful with breaking of dawn to his left. Horatio kept his position, smiling gently as his friend cried out all his sadness, hatred, and regrets he had in life.

Horatio's hands never left his friend's shoulder until his crying has been reduced to small sniffles. When he had calmed down, Hamlet turned towards the window next to him, staring out at the rising sun. Droplets of tears on his eyes were shining in the orange-red light. Despite this, there was resolve in Hamlet's eyes. Horatio trusted that his friend had come to some conclusion. The resolve in his eyes was proof enough for him _._ A smile made its way to Horatio's face as he decided to leave his friend in silence, slowly making his way toward the door. When he reached the door, Horatio turned to take a final look at his friend to see that he has already disappeared. _Farewell, Hamlet. I have been proud to have been able to call you my friend..._ With this, Horatio smiled a little before lightly closing the door behind him.

The scarlet sky continued to get brighter, slowly turning a little blue with each passing moment. Horatio walked down the sunlit hall in silence until the scrambling of shoes was heard, hurrying towards the king's chamber. He stopped by an open window, listening to the bird's songs that filled the silent dawn air. A smile graced Horatio's face as he heard the muffled shouting, the Queen's painful cries, and finally, the cry of a new born baby filled the silent hallway, announcing the birth of the kingdom's new heir.

 **Thanks for reading this story! I hope it was an enjoyable read. This is actually a story I am writing for class and the first story I have posted online. I was wonder what the readers would think of it. If you see any grammar mistakes (I'm terrible with them) or anything you find unclear, let me know. I look forward to your support from now on. Please take care of me!**

 **Special thanks to** :

 **My sister (for editing/cover design)**

 **Mr. Cronkite/other teachers (for editing/their encouragements)**


	2. possible sequel announcement

Thanks for reading A Second Chance! I had fun writing this story and look forward for your future support once again. As the title had said, I have an idea for a sequel. I would like to thanks my English teacher for providing an opportunity to write this story and came up with a idea for a sequel. Let me know what you think about a sequel to the story.

I might plan a multi-chapter sequel or just a one-shot, depending on what my readers want but I have to warn you about the wait. I would probably start planning when I have your approval, but most likely, it will take until the summer to plan and write at least the first part and the synopsis. If you like the multi-chapter idea, then you would have to wait until I finish editing the first arc. But let me know which idea you think is better. I will post the synopsis when I finished planning. I will ask for your support in finding a good title for it since I am very bad with coming up with titles (it took quite a while to think of a title for this one).

But for Hetalia fans (or anybody really...), I have a human AU planned that I might post instead of the sequel, in case I lose interest in this idea (I mean, Hamlet was something that I read for school...). But I will do my best to not lose interest and hope that my writing would be as good as this one or maybe even better from here on out, though I doubt it. I'll do my best nevertheless! Thanks for your support!


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